The elevator pitch
The “Bodrum effect†continues apace, with 2024’s grand early opening hot-footing it from high-summer scene spot into a perfect early booking destination for 2025 (it will be back with a bang every April for the season). The Turkish hotel group Maxx Royal’s triumphant arrival last year put a glitzy seal on the peninsula’s long-loved charms, combining a world-class wellness offering and emphasis on its contemporary art spaces and collection with a clutch of the global hospitality scene’s most glamorous names. The bottom line: a destination resort, perched amid the region’s scattered coastal towns, gorgeous beaches and sleepy hillsides.
The aesthetic
Ensconced on the shores of a cove overlooking the Aegean Sea, no expense has been spared. Designed by leading Turkish architect Mahmut Anlar, the all-suite, all-villa set-up feels more akin to a gated giga-mansion’s estate than the typical resort, its contemporary one- and two-storey lodgings nestled effortlessly into the hillside. Extensive use of woods and earthy-toned plasterwork conspire for maximum calm, while the grounds are next-level, bursting with indigenous plants and exquisite flora. Oh, and super-artist Bernar Venet has created one of his largest ever works, with two curved, rusted beams towering across from each side of the cove, an echo of the ancient world in modern form.
And how are the suites?
Low-key, high-end opulence is the name of the game. Sleek and mostly sea-facing retreats, some suites come complete with swim-up lagoons, while many have an entire window wall that peels back for the ultimate in inside/outside heaven. The sense of nature-meets-luxury is spot on. The firm GEO Id has sourced ceramics and textiles from local artisans, paired with a rich palette of jade greens and sapphire blues. The wake-up view from the sea-facing bedrooms is incredible.
What’s for dinner?
What isn’t? From Spago’s latest (superchef Wolfgang Puck has been a regular visitor to the region for decades) to outposts of Mayfair’s The Maine, fashion fave Caviar Kaspia and Alfredo Russo’s ORO, it’s a wild ride romping around the resort’s extraordinary slew of restaurants. While the global names are appropriately dazzling – the view from the Caviar Kaspia terrace alone is worth the flight – the resort’s beach-set Mexican, Casa Sol, is heaven for breakfast, the waiters strolling the sands with trays of pastries to pick from, while the easy Mediterranean fare at TWENTY4 is easy dining any time of the day.
Where to party?
On the other side of the hotel’s cove, naturally. Behold Skorpios Bodrum: the new incarnation of the ever-buzzing Myconian day-to-night club. With its wood slatted cabanas and decks dotted through the trees, the setting might be even more stunning than the Greek OG, and there are 12 bungalows available for overnighters too. A programme of cultural activities, and an emphasis on wellness on its menus and within the pretty walls of its spa, mark a new phase for the party-hardy brand. Though fear not: the glamour factor remains in evidence, with the dancefloor, restaurant and terraces ablaze with a high-gloss, international crowd quite capable of going as long as the DJs.
Where to unwind?
Apologies for dusting this word off but it has to be said: the spa and gym set-up is everything. A multi-room, multi-temperature sauna set up (with attendant cold plunge, of course), an expansively mosaiced Turkish hammam that looks movie-set lavish, a breathtaking mezzanine gym featuring a level of equipment to rival Manhattan or London’s finest, there is more than 4,000 square feet of unbridled feel-good nirvana at the Maxx Wellbeing Centre. The treatment menu is beyond: osteopathy, cryo-beds, floating tanks – you name it. Shout out to the traditional Turkish bath experience, too.
Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort rates start from €1,000 based on two people sharing a luxury suite with a sea view including breakfast. Access to the Maxxi Land Kid’s Club is complimentary for children aged 1-11 years old.
